A Christmas Visit
by StreetxSpirit
Summary: A spin on A Christmas Carol, GWTW style
1. Christmas Past

Hey, this is an oldie, but I thought I'd post it anyway. i'm trying to work on a new xmas story so hopefully it will be up by xmas:D. Anyway, until then, happy holidays!

The room was dark save for the natural lighting of the moon that permeated through the thick clouds and cast a silver sheen on the blanket of snow outside, creating ethereal shadows within. Rhett stood at the window of his hotel suite in Augusta with his head resting on the wall next to the glass, looking with weary eyes into the black and blue depths of a long winter's night; looking, but not really seeing anything. He fleetingly thought of the comfort and warmth of the bed behind him, but sleep was a long way off, as it had been every night for the past eight months. He pulled his dressing gown tighter around his body to keep out the cold. The fire had burned out hours before and he had thought it pointless to ring for someone to rebuild it, or to do it himself. Bringing his right hand up, he put his fingers against the cold window pain and closed his eyes; the chill of the night mixing with the heat of his incessant thoughts.

He knew why he was having trouble sleeping, and it discouraged him, angered him even that he should be tormented in his isolation now of all times. Tomorrow was Christmas, a joyful holiday for everyone else; one that brought smiles and laughter, happiness and harmony to the people around him. But he was no longer a part of that world, had not been for some time, and did not wish to be. Yet he felt a faint pang of sadness and longing of days past in his heart at the thought that this would be his first Christmas alone—without companionship, without his family, and without Scarlett.

It had been eight months since Melanie Wilkes' funeral, and eight months since he had left his wife in the mansion on Peachtree Street that they had once called their home. Eight bitter months of reckless abandonment, of heavy drinking and self destruction. He would do anything to forget that little green-eyed firebrand that had tormented him for twelve years. But she always managed to slither her way into his thoughts, his dreams, his nightmares, and he hated her for it. He hated her, yet part of him still loved her—would always love her. Still, his hatred, fueled by the pain she had caused him, the pain he had inflicted on her as a means of protecting himself, was what kept him focused on the promise of moving on. He wanted a new life, a calm life, a taste of the long gone lazy peacefulness that he had managed to elude in the past.

Sometimes he still thought of the good times he and Scarlett had shared, though they had been few and far between, but these happy memories always turned somber, and he had tried so hard to become indifferent, to stop thinking of her all together. She was in the past now, and only in casting her adrift from the lifeline of memory could he move on. But tonight, she had crept to the forefront again, and though he told himself he did not care what happened to her or where she was, he could not help but wonder what she had done in these eight months since he had left. He had not been back to Atlanta to keep the gossip down as he had promised, and he smirked at the thought that Scarlett had probably run to Ashley's waiting arms now that he was gone…but she had said she loved him, that she no longer loved Ashley.

Well, it didn't matter anyway, he thought bitterly. He wanted nothing to do with her and that was final. Momentarily shutting his eyes tightly to try and block out the image of her face that night, Rhett clenched his jaw and let his fingers slip down the cold glass of the window. When he opened his eyes again his mind was set on one purpose. He found his way to the brandy decanter on the table next to his bed and, groping for the used glass, he poured himself a drink. God, how many times had he done this in the past? How many times had Scarlett done the same thing to forget her pain over the years? He examined the shimmering glass in the moonlight; the brandy looked black as thick molasses in the dark, but his mind was too sore to think anything of it. Old habits die hard, he said to himself, and downed the contents of the glass, cringing as the liquid left a trail of fire down the back of his throat. One after another he threw back the shots of alcohol until the room began to spin and he fell into a heavy sleep.

Rhett was roused from his slumber very early in the morning by a sound that was strangely familiar, yet he could not make it out exactly. Opening his eyes tiredly, he allowed his vision to adjust to the darkness and then strained his ears in hopes of catching the sound again. There was nothing but silence for a few moments, but then he heard it again. It was the faint sound of laughter, but not just anyone's laughter, the laughter of a little girl.

Squinting his eyes in order to discern if there was anything in the shadows, he wondered if he was dreaming. Surely no one but him was awake at such an hour, let lone a child. He heard the noise again, this time from the black shadows near the door.

"Hello?" He whispered tentatively, and then a little louder, "Is someone there?"

There was silence again, and Rhett had nearly decided that it was only his tired mind playing tricks on him, when he heard a childlike voice whisper in the darkness, "Daddy."

His heart began to pound in his chest. That voice was so familiar, but all logical reasoning told him that he was hearing things. Gripping the blankets in his large hands, he took a deep breath and asked again aloud, "Is anyone there? Show yourself!"

As if beckoned by his voice a small figure materialized from the darkness, and when it came out into the dim moonlight Rhett let out a startled cry and shot back against the headboard of the bed in bewilderment and fright. He was looking at his daughter, Bonnie. But that was impossible; Bonnie had died the year before. Squeezing his eyes shut he told himself aloud that he was dreaming. He had dreamed of his little girl many times over the past year, reliving the loving, happy moments of her tragically short life. Sometimes he would awake with an anguished cry as he remembered the sickening crack of wood as Bonnie's beloved pony, Mr. Butler, hit the jumping bar with his short legs, the frantic scream of his wife before she fainted, and most of all the hammering of his own heart as he clutched Bonnie's lifeless body to his chest and pleadingly begged her to open her eyes. He had never stopped blaming himself for Bonnie's death, and the cruel, stinging accusations from Scarlett added to his own guilt, and to this day it still haunted him. He was dreaming again now, he had to be, otherwise he must be insane.

When he opened his eyes again, he was partly relieved that there was no one standing in the spot where he had seen his daughter, but he swiftly turned his head to the side of the bed when he heard her voice again. There she was, just as he had remembered her, all of four years old, smiling and giggling at the expression on his face. Her dark curls contrasted sharply with her pale skin and her small, white nightgown. Her eyes, dark in the shadows, sparkled with laughter. For a moment he thought he was in the house on Peachtree Street, in his room, and he impulsively reached out his hand to touch his daughter's hair as he used to when she would wake him up during the night. But he just as quickly recoiled it.

"Bonnie?" he asked skeptically, his mind still unable to accept the fact that he was really awake.

Bonnie's smile brought out her dimples and she said quietly, "Daddy, I missed you." Then she climbed onto the bed and threw her arms around her father's shoulders. As if on impulse, as if nothing was out of the ordinary, Rhett held Bonnie to his chest so hard he thought he would crush her small body. She was dead, and this was not real, but it did not matter, for she was here, now, and he could feel her, his little girl, as if she had never been gone. In the initial first seconds of his powerful embrace Rhett's mind was blank, but then the chasm of darkness that had been time, all of this time since Bonnie had died came rushing back to flood his memory and his broad shoulders began to shake as tears slipped down his roughened cheeks.

"Bonnie, baby, I'm so sorry," he choked, "it was my fault and I—Oh God, I didn't mean to! I've missed you so much."

Bonnie disentangled herself from her father's arms and kissed him sweetly on the cheek, like she used to when he tucked her into bed at night. _Have you a kiss for your sweetheart?_

"Don't cry, Daddy." Rhett smiled warmly, the first real smile since the day Bonnie died. But then Scarlett's accusations came back to him and he shut his eyes. He did not expect Bonnie's next words, as if she could read his mind, "Momma didn't mean what she said that day. She was just sad."

Rhett inhaled sharply and let the hot tears continue flowing as he relived those awful moments, being locked in his bedroom with Bonnie's body as Scarlett mercilessly beat on the door, desperately screaming to see her baby, calling him a murderer for teaching the little girl how to ride a pony. Those had been some of the most painful days of his life, only matched by the ones that had passed a short time earlier when Scarlett was lying in bed, unconscious and on the verge of death, all because of him. How could one man possibly stand such burdens? Even he, who had traveled the world and seen many things, had proven that he was not invincible. Some things were just too much to bear.

Rhett turned his head to kiss Bonnie's cheek but opened his eyes when his lips brushed thin air. She had vanished and he was alone again. Thinking he had imagined it he brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs, resting his head on his knees and he wept—for Bonnie, for his wasted love for Scarlett, for his happiness which had been locked away for so long and for his self pity. How long he sat there in the dark he had no idea, but suddenly he felt a warm hand on his head and he abruptly sat up, startled, as a bright light momentarily blinded him.

"What can be the cause of such tears?" a feminine voice radiated from the source of the light.

Shielding his eyes with his arm, Rhett tried to discern the figure that had roused him from his previous state of misery. "Who are you?" he asked.

The light dimmed and the voice said lightly, "Surely you haven't forgotten your wife's sister-in-law, have you? Has it been so long?"

Rhett let his arm down from his eyes and stared fixedly ahead of him at the figure before him. Melanie Wilkes, Scarlett's only real friend, and the woman he himself had harbored much respect for during her life, stood next to him with a kind smile on her face. She was illuminated by an unearthly glow that seemed to emanate from her entire body.

Rhett, disbelieving, shook his head back and forth. He had had too much to drink that evening, and his mind was making him see things that were not there. "It's impossible, you're not real. You're dead. My imagination is playing tricks on me."

"Yet you believed when you saw your daughter. You held her in your arms and knew she was there. Why don't you believe that I am here, Captain Butler?"

"You saw Bonnie?" he asked, hope at the thought that she had indeed been there filling his deep voice. "Are you a ghost?"

"It depends on what you believe, Captain Butler."

I don't believe in ghosts, Rhett told himself, still staring at Melanie.

As if she could hear his thoughts, just like Bonnie did earlier, she said, "Perhaps you believe in angels then? Bonnie would be so disappointed to hear that you do not believe she existed."

Feeling anxious and helpless at the same time at the mention of his little girl, Rhett asked her again if she'd seen Bonnie.

"She's here right now. She was so excited to see you that we could not hold her back and she came here earlier than she was supposed to." Melanie looked behind her and whispered, "Come out here, darling." And from behind the folds of her skirt came Bonnie, smiling brightly at Rhett. "We've been watching you for some time, Captain Butler."

"What do you mean, watching me?" Rhett asked, his eyes wandering from Melanie to Bonnie, wondering how all of this could be possible. Were they spirits from the world beyond? It comforted him in some way to think that these people continued to live on even though death had taken them from the ones that loved them too soon.

"We've watched you Daddy, and Mommy too."

"Have you?" Rhett breathed. Bonnie nodded her head and looked up at Melanie who smiled in silent approval. Bonnie stepped forward and held out her small hand for Rhett to take.

"Come on, Daddy."

"Where are we going, sweetheart?" he questioned in bewilderment.

"We've been instructed to help you, Captain Butler. We haven't much time so we must be going."

Rhett raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Help me with what?"

"Find happiness," Melanie smiled. "We'd best be going now before it's too late."

"I—I am happy," he whispered.

"Come on, Daddy!" Bonnie said impatiently, taking Rhett's hand and tugging on it until he stood up from the bed. His head felt strangely light as he put his feet on the floor. Before he had attributed this symptom to drunkenness, but now he was not sure at all what was dream and what was reality. Were these two beloved figures from his past really here again?

He was standing next to Melanie and Bonnie in the middle of the bedroom. With only his thin dressing gown, Rhett was quickly chilled by the cold air. "Where are we going?" he inquired.

"To a Christmas in the past," Melanie responded lightly. She instructed Rhett to grab hold of Bonnie's hand and she took his other hand in her own. Still not knowing what to think, Rhett obeyed, and they started walking toward the window where he could see the thick flakes of snow lazily falling from the night sky.

"A Christmas in the past?" asked Rhett. "But who's---"

Before Rhett could finish his statement they had passed through the wall as if it were transparent as thin air, and they found themselves in the parlor of a stately, yet homely plantation house.

"Where are we?" Rhett asked. Looking around he saw a good sized cherry wood dining table that still held the remnants of that night's meal, an iron chandelier with a dozen lighted candles that hung from the ceiling, a side table fashioned in the same way as the dining table stood in the corner by the door that most likely led to the kitchen. On the side table was an intricately painted porcelain vase that he recognized having seen similar ones in a shop in Savannah. The entire room was well fashioned, he thought. He wondered who lived here, as his surroundings were unfamiliar.

Just then the sound of girlish laughter filled the air and he heard the pounding of two pairs of feet descending the staircase in an adjacent room.

"Pa!" came the voice of one of the girls, and Rhett turned to Melanie in question. "I don't know this house," he said.

"No, you never came here, did you," Melanie replied matter-of-factly. They walked out into the foyer where he saw two young girls in pretty dresses gathered around a massive and beautifully decorated Christmas tree, laughing and shaking the gifts that lay underneath, waiting to be opened the next morning. The older one looked about fifteen while the other one could not have been more than thirteen years old. They looked vaguely familiar, but Rhett could not place them in his memory.

It was not until the unmistakable boisterous Irish voice of Gerald O'Hara came blasting through the library door that Rhett knew where he was.

"Tara," he said with wonderment. "But won't they see us, Melanie?"

"No, these are shadows of things that have been. They have no consciousness of us."

Rhett looked back at the young girls and realized that they were Suellen and Carreen O'Hara. He turned his head as he caught the faint scent of lemon verbena sachet and watched as a still young, dignified woman with a regal air about her came into the room, and he realized that he was looking at the fabled Ellen O'Hara. This woman, with her beautiful, heavy dark hair pulled back in a fashion Rhett recognized as having been out of style for quite some time, her shoulders back and her head held high, this was the woman Scarlett had idolized since childhood. And rightly so, he thought, judging by her stately appearance.

Her voice was cultured when she spoke, revealing her strict and formal education as well as her wealthy upbringing on the Georgian coast. "Gerald where is your other daughter?"

"Why I'm sure she'll be along shortly," Gerald said, his red cheeks flushing as he addressed his much younger wife. Then, turning to his younger daughters, he addressed Suellen, "Where has your sister run off to, missy? She's always holding things up."

"She's upstairs, Pa," Suellen said, never taking her attention away from the presents under the tree.

Gerald, with the limp Rhett knew from his meeting with Mr. O'Hara in Atlanta during the war, made his way to the foot of the staircase and bellowed, "Scarlett O'Hara! If you're not down here by the count of ten we'll be starting without you! One…two…three…"

Rhett heard footsteps on the stairs and the voice he knew all to well.

"I'm coming, Pa."

And then he saw her, descending the staircase in a lovely forest green dress trimmed with white lace. Her black hair fell in perfect ringlets around her shoulders, and even from where they stood by the doorway he could see her green eyes light up with the radiance of youth and the excitement of the festivities that evening. She was just as beautiful as she had been the day he saw her on the staircase at Twelve Oaks, he observed. He had not noticed the quickening pace of his heart when his eyes caught sight of her, but his gaze never left her as she made her way to where her sisters were and the family assembled for prayers.

Rhett felt something tugging on his hand and he looked down to see Bonnie, her blue eyes shining brilliantly as she exclaimed with excitement that she recognized her mother.

"Mammy is mighty pretty," Bonnie said.

Rhett could not help but smile softly at his daughter's comment. How they resembled each other! He always thought, when Bonnie was alive, that if they had to, no one would ever question who her mother was, so alike were they in facial feature and mannerism. "Yes," he lamented softly, bending down to scoop her up in his arms, "she was beautiful. You looked just like her."

The three unseen guests stood watching the O'Hara family as Ellen led the nightly prayer. When Rhett finally allowed himself to take his eyes off of his wife, he turned to Melanie and asked why they had brought him here. "You said these are shadows of things that have been. Nothing can be changed. Why have you brought me to Scarlett's past and not my own?"

"Because, Captain Butler," Melanie smiled, "you already know your past; you lived it. Scarlett, too, is part of that past, but you did not know her before she entered your life. She was not always as she seemed"

Furrowing his brows, Rhett asked, "What do you mean?" but before his words made it out of his mouth, the scene before them faded and they found themselves in a darkened room where two figures were lying on the down comforter of a spacious canopy bed, trying to suppress hushed giggles.

"Oh, but Scarlett, who is it that you will marry? Surely half the boys in the county have asked for your hand."

Rhett recognized Scarlett and Carreen as the girls who were talking, and he figured they must be in Scarlett's old bedroom. He found it slightly amusing that he should be in Scarlett's bedroom now, watching her when she could not see him, when he had not been let in her room while they were married.

"Don't be a goose, sissy," Scarlett said. "Of course they have asked me to marry them, but you can't just go around saying yes to every man that asks you, especially if you don't love them."

Rhett was shocked to hear such a statement come out of Scarlett's mouth. He remembered the day he had come to give her the check for the money she needed to pay the taxes on Tara, and he had found out that she had married Frank Kennedy. _Tell me, Scarlett. Do you ever shrink from marrying men you don't love?_ He listened again to the conversation between the two sisters.

"Are you in love Scarlett?"

"What gave you that idea?"

"Sue said that you have been sweet on Ashley Wilkes; that you hope to marry him."

Rhett watched as Scarlett stiffened on the bed, but played things out as if Carreen's words meant nothing to her. "Suellen is a brat who likes to stick her nose in everyone else's business. Besides, what does it matter?"

Carreen laughed and then covered her mouth with her hand as if she were afraid of someone else hearing their conversation. "Well, I don't care who you marry, Scarlett, just as long as it's not Brent Tarleton."

"You needn't worry about that, Sugarbaby," Scarlett said, sitting up on the bed. "Now go back to sleep before Mammy catches us awake. You know she's got ears like a cat." Carreen nodded, gave her big sister a hug and left the room.

"Melanie," Rhett spoke with a bitter voice, "I know who Scarlett was thinking about—who she's always thought about…Did you ever know?" Melanie's eyes were soft and brown, so trusting and kind, and Rhett regretted having posed that question even now, when Melanie no longer existed in the world of the living. But she only smiled enigmatically at Rhett's question and then turned her head toward Scarlett.

She got out of bed and walked softly toward the door. Without thinking, Rhett followed her, still holding Bonnie in his arms. "Where is your mother going?" he whispered to the child.

"To see Grandma Ellen," Bonnie whispered back.

"How do you know this, sweetheart?" Bonnie laughed and buried her head in Rhett's shoulder.

Scarlett made her way down the stairs and through the sitting room as Rhett followed close behind her. He noticed the way she would reach up and brush her hair through with her fingers, the seductive sway of her hips as she walked, things he had long forgotten over the years of their indifference but was now rediscovering with a sharp sense of clarity how he had loved them. She made her way to a closed door near the entryway of the house and knocked softly before entering. Inside her mother sat at a large oak desk going over the figures for the plantation, but she looked up when Scarlett opened the door and stood up from her chair. There was an old couch on the side wall that had sagging, used cushions, and here Ellen sat down, motioning with her hand for her eldest daughter to come and sit by her.

What is it, baby?" Ellen crooned as Scarlett sat at her feet and laid her head against her mother's knees. Rhett stood in the middle of the room and set Bonnie on her feet. Knowing Scarlett as she had been while they were together, this scene between mother and daughter made Rhett curious. He had never witnessed her in so tender a scene with her own children, and he had always wished that she would let him draw her to his knee so he could run his fingers through her long hair and whisper to her how much he loved her. But it had never come true, for she had never loved him.

"Oh, I'm alright, mother," Scarlett replied quietly.

Ellen patted Scarlett's dark head. "I know that look that was on your face when you came in, darling. What is on your mind?"

Scarlett sighed and began toying with the folds of her mother's dress. Rhett noticed that her kittenish eyes held a far away look, as if she were daydreaming, or troubled by her thoughts.

"Mother, how do you know when you're in love? Really in love, I mean," Scarlett asked quietly.

Ellen smiled and said thoughtfully, "I suppose you get a special feeling whenever you're around that man, whenever you touch him. Whenever he smiles it makes your heart beat faster. When he means so much to you that you'd do anything, even give up your way of life for him. Love is both a very selfish and unselfish emotion, my darling. You want to do anything for him but at the same time you want all of him for yourself, and seeing him in pain causes you to feel the same thing. To be in love is to be truly happy. But there now, what makes you ask such a question? Has a special beau stolen your heart?"

Rhett listened to Ellen's eloquent speech, and he was genuinely moved. He had loved Scarlett and thought he had given everything for her, but hearing this explanation from Scarlett's mother made him realize that he had been more selfish than not. What if he had told her he loved her? He had given up everything but his heart, which he had kept locked up out of fear of losing it and having it be trampled upon. But if he had acted differently—treated her more kindly or let her have a glimpse into the windows of his soul? So many things that could have been rushed through his mind and he was left feeling weary.

Scarlett turned her head up and looked at her mother before she moved onto the sofa next to her. "Oh, well…no, that is, I'm not sure, but something happened last year at the bar-b-que at Twelve Oaks…"

"What happened at Twelve oaks, darling?"

"You know how we like to have Mammy Jincy tell our fortunes and all. Well, she told me…she told me that I was destined to marry a man with jet black hair and a long black moustache," confessed Scarlett, somewhat distressed.

Ellen laughed and pulled Scarlett into a hug. "Who was she talking about? Tony or Alex Fontaine perhaps? They're nice boys."

"Oh no! I could never marry one of the Fontaine boys, Mother!"

"Well then who could it be?"

"Oh, I don't know. I don't like Mammy Jincy's fortunes anyway. I don't even like black haired men," Scarlett proclaimed with a bright smile.

At the revelation Rhett inhaled sharply. He knew the man Scarlett was referring to was himself. Had it been destined, written in the stars that they were meant for each other? And she knew all this time?

"I always used to tell Scarlett that we belonged together," he softly told Melanie. "She never believed me. In fact she told me she hated me," he added with a soft chuckle, suddenly filled with the nostalgia of years past when things between he and Scarlett had been so much simpler.

"Do you believe that you belong together?" Melanie asked.

"Once upon a time I did," Rhett sighed.

"But you no longer do?"

Silence passed between them for a moment as Rhett remembered their life together. "So much has happened between us, Melanie. So much that I don't think we could ever pick up the pieces. Scarlett is so hard-headed and stubborn, selfish too. Money changed her."

Melanie's eyes bore into Rhett's as she spoke, "War changed her, Captain Butler, as it changed everyone. Scarlett was not always that way. She did what she had to do to survive, and she did it the only way she knew how. If you had been there during the war you would have seen how brave she was, but it was so hard for her to take care of everyone, let alone herself. One has a right to be selfish in such circumstances, she had to survive for the sake of others. She needed someone to help her…she needed you. But you were not there—no one was there except us."

"I know she had a difficult time!" Rhett's voice became raspy, as if some bottled up emotion were struggling to get out. "But what about after? What about when we were married and she was so careless, so hurtful and unforgiving? I loved her! I knew her and understood her but she didn't care! She never cared! She only cared about herself…and Ashley."

Bonnie's small arms tightened around his neck and she whispered in his ear, "Mommy didn't love Uncle Ashley, daddy."

Rhett's pleading eyes turned to Melanie again, begging for the truth. This was something that he had never believed, and could not make himself believe that night when he left Scarlett for good. It could not be possible. Such things just did not make sense after what they'd been through. But Melanie's words wrung his heart and brought tears to his eyes for the second time that night.

"What Bonnie says is true, Captain Butler. Scarlett may have loved Ashley, but she never loved him the way she loves you."

Taking one last look at Scarlett, so young and beautiful, sitting with her mother on the sofa in the office at Tara, Rhett wished he could step from behind the veil of the future and into this scene in front of him. He would be the premonition from Scarlett's fortune come true. But these were visions of things that had already happened, and he could not turn back time.

"How do you know these things?" he asked, really addressing both spirits.

"It's a gift that is beyond the limits of the comprehension of the living," Melanie smiled. "Come now, there is much to see, and time grows short." Rhett understood the meaning of Melanie's words and set Bonnie on her feet, taking both of their hands in his own and watched as the scene from his wife's past faded into nothingness.


	2. Christmas Present

When their new surroundings materialized around them, Rhett knew exactly where they were before his mind even registered it completely. The crimson carpet, scarlet curtains, the complete gloominess of the foyer crushed him with its weight of repressed memories—memories he had no desire to revisit for they were still very raw. The Peachtree street mansion. He and Scarlett had spent too many dismal moments here.

"This house, why did you have to bring me here?" he asked shakily, turning to Melanie with eyes aflame with anguish.

Melanie smiled and laid her pale hand gently on his muscular arm. "Three people that once meant a great deal to you reside here."

"Three?" Rhett asked. "What Christmas is this?"

"It is this Christmas, Captain Butler."

Melanie pointed in the direction of the parlor where the soft glow of a fire and candlelight resonated out into the hall. Feeling Bonnie's small hand clutch his own, Rhett followed Melanie's silent instructions and stopped in the doorway to the parlor. A large Christmas tree, elaborately decorated with garlands and holly stood in the corner, lit up by the blazing fire in the fireplace. On the floor around the tree were scattered a vast array of toys and torn and crumpled paper, and in the middle of the mess, half buried in the pile were Wade and little Ella. A sudden guilty feeling crept up on Rhett and settled in the pit of his stomach. In his grief for Bonnie and Melanie, and his delirious drive to forget Scarlett he had all but forgotten the two other children who meant just as much to him as if he had fathered them himself. He had not seen them in so long, but there they were, sleeping under the Christmas tree, and it seemed to him as if he had never been gone. Ella, with her ginger curls spread over the floor, was clutching a doll that Rhett had never seen before, and he noticed Wade with his arm around his little sister, as if protecting her.

"Wade and Ella, I never thought of how all of this trauma would affect them. They look so peaceful," Rhett whispered. "Melanie," he said louder, turning to the small woman beside him, "tell me they have not suffered because of Scarlett and I."

"They miss you a great deal, Captain Butler, and Bonnie too. Wade has been through much and he feels protective over Ella now that you're gone, and Scarlett has tried hard to connect with them."

Her last words startled him. Scarlett, trying to be close to her children? For as long as he had known her, her own offspring had always come second to her own personal desires. It was nearly incomprehensible to him, but then again, he remembered the pitiful, shameful look in her pure green eyes when he used to let her know of his feelings about her indecency as a mother. Now that he thought about it, it was almost as if she had silently admitted defeat…or that she had been hurt by his words. Again, a feeling of consternation fell upon him as he realized things about his own behavior that he had not acknowledged before. He had not been the world's greatest father, but he had never really given Scarlett a significant chance to be a good mother, especially to Bonnie.

Out of the warm silence that seemed to fill house, there came the soft sound of footsteps in the foyer accompanied by hushed voices. Rhett turned his head and his weary dark eyes fell upon the woman whom he once loved with all of his heart. She was walking slowly, almost tiredly toward the parlor, and he recognized Ashley Wilkes following suite, with a tired Beau in his arms. At the sight of that man Rhett felt the tide of anger and jealousy that had always been associated with Ashley rise in his chest. What was he doing here, spending Christmas with Scarlett and her children?

"Don't be upset, Captain Butler. Feelings of jealousy are not necessary. Scarlett is fulfilling her promise," Melanie mused.

"What on earth are you talking about? What is he doing here?"

"Scarlett explained it the night you informed her that you were leaving. I had made her promise to look after Ashley when I was no longer here physically. She promised, and she has kept her promise as she has always kept all of her promises, both to others and to herself."

Rhett sighed dejectedly and observed Scarlett as she came closer to where they stood. "Captain Butler, you know her better than anyone. I was there that night when she told you she loved you. Do not be deceived by the current situation. Scarlett has been a great help to Ashley and our son out of her obligation to me."

Rhett again turned to observe Scarlett's face as she advanced toward the parlor. Dark circles could be seen under her eyes, and her skin looked almost sickly pale, as if she had not been properly taking care of herself. How long had she been like this, he suddenly found himself wondering. He realized now that in his own grief over the tragedies that plagued them both, he had not noticed the state of his wife. But he supposed that even if he had noticed it would not have mattered, for he was in no condition at that time to comfort a woman who had no sympathy for anyone's feelings but her own. How he had needed her then! How he had needed to know that she felt the same pain, cried the same tears that he did! But the words that she had spoken in her own sorrow had pushed him further into solitude, and it was only now that his heart had begun to heal and those darkest days began to be forgotten.

Her presence, though he was not physically on the same earthy plane as she, was palpable, and he felt drawn to her as he always had. Just as she brushed past him into the parlor he instinctively reached out and grazed her hair with his fingertips. He had felt her physically, and suddenly she froze mid stride, looking around with her eyes narrowed and alert.

"What's wrong, Scarlett?" Ashley asked as he came up behind her. Rhett watched, holding his breath.

Scarlett brought her hand up and lightly patted down her hair where Rhett had touched it. "That's funny," she said hesitantly. "Did you feel that? It was a cold breeze just now, and it ruffled my hair."

"It must have been a draft. It has been unusually chilly this winter."

She stood still in a moment of confusion before nodding her head in agreement. "Yes, it must have been. How strange," she whispered, but then dismissed it from her mind and went to rouse Wade and Ella from their sleep.

"Daddy, you can't do that," Bonnie scolded.

"Do what?"

"Captain Butler," Melanie interjected seriously, walking over to his side, "She felt your presence. You mustn't touch her again tonight, it's dangerous. She doesn't know we're here and that's the way it is supposed to be. You must understand that you cannot bridge the space between our time and hers."

Rhett was taken aback at Melanie's words. Scarlett had felt him? "But I don't understand," he said confusedly.

"Scarlett cannot see us. There are times when the living are allowed to feel those watching over them in their time of need, but you are not one of us."

Rhett waited for Melanie to continue but she said nothing further, instead turning her head to watch Scarlett with her two living children. Accepting the silence, Rhett did as Melanie had done and studied Scarlett on the other side of the room. She slowly bent over and placed her hand on Ellas ginger curls, brushing them out of her little face with such a delicate motion that Rhett, for an instant, thought he was seeing a completely different woman than the one he used to know; and perhaps he was.

Scarlett took Wade's arm from around Ella and quietly whispered his name. At the sound of his mother's voice Wade opened his eyes and slowly sat up, yawning as he picked stray pieces of wrapping paper from his pajamas.

Scarlett was busy trying to wake Ella from her slumber, but when she noticed Wade observing them she turned her head and softly smiled. It was a genuine smile that radiated warmth throughout the room, and Rhett took in a short breath, for he could not remember the last time that he saw Scarlett smile like that.

"Merry Christmas, Wade Hampton," she smiled before looking away and giving Ella's shoulder a little shake.

"Merry Christmas, mother," Wade said shyly.

When Ella finally opened her eyes and sat up next to her brother, Rhett witnessed the most extraordinary thing. Scarlett held out her thin arms and picked Ella up, motioning for Wade to stand as well. "I think it's time for you two to go up to bed," she said.

"Oh, but mother, it's still Christmas!" Wade pouted sadly, bending down to pick up some of his and Ella's new toys.

"Yes, I know, but only for a little while longer. Your sister needs to be tucked in."

Rhett could not help the small smile that formed on his lips as he observed Scarlett with her children. Despite the kindness he had just witnessed her display, part of the old, strict Scarlett still remained in the imperial tone of her voice. And yet she looked so small with Ella in her arms, as if her petite frame could barely carry her little child. If Scarlett had only opened her heart to him when they were married, before so much misfortune had befallen them, he would have been glad to help her. If he tried he could picture himself walking over to her, bending over and adoringly kissing her head before lifting Ella into his own strong arms and relieving Scarlett of the burden.

"Did you thank Uncle Ashley for the presents?" Scarlett asked.

Wade walked over to where Ashley stood and held out his hand, imitating the way he used to act older than his years when addressing Rhett. "Thank you for the gifts, Uncle Ashley. Ella thanks you too."

Ashley smiled and patted Wade on the head. "You're welcome, Wade." Then, turning to Scarlett, he said softly, "Let me take Ella to bed for you."

"Don't be silly, Ashley, you have Beau to carry. Wade can take her upstairs by himself, can't you, Wade?" she said addressing her son. Wade nodded his head in obedience and waited as Scarlett kissed Ella on the cheek and told her to be a good girl and follow her brother. Once her children had made their way out of the room Scarlett turned back to Ashley.

"Thank you so much for bringing the children gifts. You didn't have to go out of you way to do that. And thank you for visiting and bringing Beau tonight. It helps to have company sometimes," she said tiredly. Rhett noticed that she was not really looking at Ashley but rather looking through him with eyes that seemed heavy and distracted.

"You know it was no trouble, Scarlett." When she said nothing in return Ashley put his hand on her arm, and she finally looked up at him. "I know this is hard on you, being, well—alone on Christmas. It was the least I could do to come and visit you. Scarlett, you're so brave to keep going like this, only I worry about you. You look like you haven't slept in a while."

Rhett clenched his fists. Who was Ashely to worry about Scarlett, he thought bitterly. But he watched Scarlett close her eyes for a moment as if to think of what she would say next, and when he looked closely, he thought he saw her lip trembling. Her fragility cracked the steel he had built around his heart and he allowed pain for her to creep in.

"Ashley," she whispered, taking a small step back, "you have enough problems of your own. Please don't worry about mine. I—I'll be alright."

"Yes, I know you will. I know you miss…him…but Scarlett you don't deserve to be so unhappy. If only he could see you right now, he'd be sorry for what he's done to you."

Rhett winced at Ashley's words and whispered, as if they could hear him, "Scarlett, I am here."

"They can't hear you, daddy," Bonnie reminded him.

"Oh Ashley, please don't," Scarlett continued.

"But you're unhappy because Captain Butler isn't here, I know you are."

Scarlett sighed heavily, "I'm trying my best not to be, Ashley, but it's hard. I still love him, I think I always did, and I can't forget him just because he left. I'm trying to make the best of things. So please, let's not talk about it anymore, especially today since it's Christmas. We should be happy, and I'm happy you came to visit. Really I am." She looked away and started walking toward the door while Ashley followed behind her.

"Thank you again, Ashley, for spending Christmas with me and the children. I know they appreciated it, and I appreciated the company."

Ashley set Beau on his feet and pulled Scarlett into a gentle, friendly embrace. "You know you're welcome to visit us at our house any time."

Scarlett nodded her head slowly. "Thank you. Merry Christmas, Ashley. Good night."

"Good night, Scarlett." And with that last farewell he turned and walked out into the misty December night.

Closing the door softly, Scarlett walked back toward the stairs with her shoulders hunched and her head hung low. Rhett could feel the weight of her depression hanging in the air, and even if he did not want to acknowledge it and realize that he had played a part in making her this way, his heart acted on its own and again he unwillingly ached for her. They followed her up the long flight of stairs and into the bedroom that she and Rhett had shared once, a long time ago, when they were still truly man and wife. Here they watched as she slowly walked over to the bureau where she kept her trinkets and valuables. She stood there looking at her things for a few moments and when she had picked something out, it was not a piece of jewelry or perfume, but a porcelain doll that stood at the back of the bureau.

Rhett gasped as he watched her delicately pick up the doll and walk back over to the bed where she sat down. It was not just any doll that Scarlett was holding, it was special. It had belonged to Bonnie, and he watched, mesmerized as she smoothed down the dress and hair.

"Daddy?" Bonnie said softly, holding her arms out in a signal to Rhett that she wanted to be picked up. He obliged, smiling sadly. "Do you remember the Christmas when Saint Nicholas brought me Victoria?" Victoria was the name that Scarlett had bestowed on the doll because Bonnie had been unable to talk then. Unwilling to let himself remember, but unable to make himself stop, Rhett's mind traveled back to a happier time, back to the Christmas of 1869.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Rhett was in high spirits as he walked into his and Scarlett's bedroom in the pre-dawn hours of the morning. He had just finished placing the gifts under the tree for Wade, Ella and Scarlett. This was their second Christmas together as a married couple, but it was extra special to him because Scarlett had given birth to his daughter over the summer, the first of many children, he hoped. He quietly opened the door, expecting to find Scarlett asleep as she had been when he had slipped out of bed earlier. Instead he found her sitting up in bed, nursing the baby. Her eyes were closed and her hair was disheveled, but as he stood watching the peaceful scene his heart came near to bursting with happiness and pride for his wife and child. Scarlett, he knew, had not been happy when she found out she was pregnant, but despite her somewhat distant attitude even now, five months after giving birth, she still performed the motherly duties that were her responsibility and bore them with little complaint.

Light as an Indian, he walked over to the dressing room and reached behind a pile of hat boxes, pulling out a long wooden case that contained a special present. Carefully he sat down on the bed next to Scarlett and reached out his hand to touch the soft black down that covered their daughter's head. Scarlett's eyes shot open at the unexpected movement and she gasped audibly.

"God's nightgown, Rhett! What on earth are you doing? You scared the life out of me!"

Rhett smiled lightly and said "I'm sorry, Scarlett. I saw you from the doorway and you looked so peaceful here with Bonnie. I didn't want to disturb you."

As if fleetingly realizing that her nightgown was open and that her baby had not finished feeding, Scarlett embarrassingly turned away and pulled her nightgown together as much as she could. But Rhett, sensing her obvious discomfort in his presence, did not wish to leave or turn away and leave her be. He found her beautiful in her matronly state, and though he liked to tease her and spark the flame of her temper, he greatly admired her and had no intention of making her uncomfortable now in so tender a moment. "Scarlett, don't be embarrassed," he whispered, lightly putting his hand on her back and willing her to face him again. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Scarlett did not turn around until Bonnie had finished and had fallen asleep in her arms. When she finally faced Rhett, she kept her eyes on the coverlet of the bed, and with one hand saving her modesty from the curious eyes of her husband, she asked Rhett to take the baby and put her in the cradle next to the bed.

"She's beautiful, you know," Rhett said softly, sitting back down next to Scarlett and placing his hand over hers. For some reason he felt that he could be open with Scarlett, even if she did not return the sentiment. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that they were alone, in the dark, at an hour when the rest of the world was asleep. Or perhaps it was simply the magic that this special holiday could bring. He was not sure, but he wanted to be close to her. "I don't know if I ever thanked you," he added kindly.

Her eyes met his in the pink-tinted light that had started to creep through the window, a signal of the approaching dawn. "Thank me for what?"

"For Bonnie. I never thought I'd have children, you know. She's amazing."

He could not tell is she was embarrassed or amazed at his confession of loving to be a father, but she took in a breath and whispered, "Oh."

"Here, I wanted to show you something," he said quickly, changing the subject. He reached for the box that he had set on the chair next to the bed when he had come into the room.

"What is it?"

"It's a gift. It's actually something I ordered for Bonnie, but she's too small to have it now so I was hoping that you would keep it until she gets older." He pulled the box onto his lap and took off the lid to reveal a gorgeous and, no doubt, expensive genuine china doll.

Scarlett gasped and reached out for it, delicately handling and observing it as if she were afraid it would break in her hands. "What a gorgeous doll, Rhett! It must have cost a fortune." Rhett chuckled and leaned over to light the oil lamp so that Scarlett could see better. The doll had jet black ringlets framing her peach painted face, the slightest pink tint on her cheeks, and cobalt blue eyes that looked like sapphires, though Scarlett knew they were just glass. The material of the red dress was of the softest velvet that was intricately laced with gold design and flowed down to cover all but the tips of her shiny black buckle shoes. It was the most beautiful doll in the world. Never had Scarlett seen anything like it in any shop in any city she had been to.

"Rhett, where did you get it?" she whispered.

"I have contacts in France who placed an order for it with a Danish doll maker in Copenhagen. They sent it by ship a month ago." He laughed softly as he thought about the trouble he had to go through to make sure it was made to his specific orders and arrived in the United States in one piece. "I have another gift for you, but I wanted to show you this. It's a special present to commemorate Bonnie's first Christmas. I wanted her eye color. Who knows, maybe it looks like you."

"Oh Rhett, don't be silly, it's a doll. But really, it's beautiful. I'll name it Victoria, after Bonnie's real middle name."

"That's fine. Now you'll promise to take good care of it? I don't want you to break it in one of your tantrums. After all, as you guessed, it was rather expensive," he said slightly mockingly.

Scarlett shot him an annoyed glance, but then turned her attention back to the doll. "Don't worry, it won't get broken. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get some more sleep before Wade and Ella wake up. I haven't had much in the past few months, you know."

Rhett smiled and put the doll back in its box before extinguishing the lamp and putting his arm around Scarlett. "Would it be too much to ask for a goodnight kiss, my pet?" he said with laughter in his voice.

Scarlett studied him for a moment in the darkness. Then, it was as if her annoyance and short temper that she'd carried with her since before Bonnie was born vanished for a moment because she leaned in and softly kissed him on the lips. "Merry Christmas, Rhett."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I remember," Rhett said to Bonnie after returning from his memory. He thought now, as he observed Scarlett alone on the bed, holding the doll as if it were a child, that if they had ever been happy in their marriage, surely that Christmas morning was one of the rare moments of marital bliss. Now he stood from afar, watching as her resilience crumbled in front of him and tears slipped down her pale cheeks. She was whispering and it sounded as if she were apologizing, to Bonnie, to him.

"Is this the first time she's done this, Melanie?" he inquired with a voice slightly uneven from the combination of his memories and the scene in front of him.

"No. She's mourned Bonnie since the day she passed on, and has wept for you since the day you left. She is trying her best to move on, Captain Butler, really she is, but even Scarlett is not immune to grave emotion, just as you aren't. She needs someone to help her move forward, someone who knows what she's been through, just as you have."

Rhett knew this night that he had seen a side of Scarlett he had never experienced before, but yet he could not bring himself to open his heart quite yet, and he told Melanie so.

Melanie smiled somewhat sadly and said, "Well, we must go now. There is still another Christmas we must show you. Come, the dawn approaches quickly." Taking Melanie and Bonnie took both of his hand again and before he had time to look at Scarlett once more, the scene faded to black yet again.


	3. Christmas Future

A sense of foreboding had befallen Rhett when his feet hit solid ground at the third and last destination on this truly unearthly journey. Gone were the warm lights of Tara and his Peachtree Street mansion. Gone were the protective walls that provided shelter from cold winter nights. Instead he found himself outside, surrounded by nothing but the biting air and silhouettes of trees that had been stripped of their leaves long before this night. Yet this place seemed strangely familiar to him, as if he'd been there before. In the distance, the deep toll of a town clock sounded the hour of six. Looking at his feet, he found the ground covered in a thick layer of slithering silver mist, and out of the fog he discerned the tops of what he made out to be headstones. They were in the cemetery, but why?

The sound of heavy footsteps and muffled sobs attracted his attention and he turned to see a procession of mourners advancing toward him. The pallbearers in front were carrying a wooden coffin, and those immediately following carried long poles with lanterns hanging from hooks, and even in the dim yellow light Rhett could see they were all dressed in black. But who were these people, and who was being laid to rest on this bitter winter night? The spirits beside him did not speak and they watched as the funeral procession stopped at a freshly dug grave next to an enormous oak tree. The undertaker stood by the grave with shovel in hand and Rhett noticed the priest step into the light of one of the lamps as the mourners spread around the gaping hole in the earth, waiting for the last rites to be read.

"Melanie," he asked, his voice tight with an unrecognized sense of fear that had crept upon him, "why are we here in this, the saddest of places?"

When she spoke, her voice seemed far away. "This is a Christmas in the future, Captain Butler, and we have been instructed to bring you here."

"Yes, but why the cemetery, who's funeral is this?" As he spoke, his feet willed him to walk forward and he moved lethargically toward the huddled group of people. Turning to look behind him, he noticed that neither Melanie nor Bonnie were following him. Instead they stood, like two bright beacons against the pitch black sky, waiting to light his path. But he sensed that this was a discovery that he had to find out on his own.

The muffled voices became clearer as he came closer and once he stood directly outside the group of people, he was able to recognize some of the faces. There was old Dr. Meade and his wife, Caroline, the Whitings and the Merriweathers, the Elsings. Each one of them looked tired and worn, as if they had aged a great deal since the last time he saw them. Close to where he was standing, Dolly Merriweather leaned down to whisper in an unidentified woman's ear. "You know, I never had much respect for that woman, but I can't help feeling sorry for the way things turned out for her."

The other woman nodded and whispered, "And those poor children, left with no father or mother to take care of them."

Rhett was utterly perplexed. Had someone who was of high standing in the Old Guard died? Many of the matriarchs were up there in years, so perhaps it was one of them. But Mrs. Merriweather had spoken of children, so it couldn't have been someone old. He moved around the group to get a better view of the coffin which would perhaps give him some clue as to who was going to be buried here. In doing so he caught snippets of other conversations.

"I do feel sorry for her even after all she did in her lifetime to ostracize herself. Ever since her that vile man left her she was never the same."

"But she really must have loved him."

Forgetting momentarily his place in this scene, Rhett softly inquired to one of the mourners who it was that had died, but no one even acknowledged his presence, and the feeling of uneasiness that had washed over him when he first appeared here returned once more at their silence. In the background he heard the droning of the priest's voice, and the sniffles and hushed cries of those present.

Putting his hand on the shoulder of the man closest to him he asked again, frightened, "Please, tell me who has died." But again he was met with only the void of silence.

"It was such a tragedy when their daughter died, do you remember?" questioned a different black shrouded lady to the woman standing next to her. "She was so young."

"Yes, I remember, it was terrible to have seen them so hurt, and they didn't even comfort each other at the funeral as you thought they would have. I remember too, how sickly she looked at Melanie Wilkes's funeral. And she had been alone."

A harsh wind picked up and chilled Rhett to the core. He swallowed hard as a cold sweat formed on his brow and his breath came quicker. His heart raced with adrenaline and unknown fear. In his heart he knew, but his mind refused to let him see the truth. Looking around again he spotted a familiar figure standing near the priest. It was Ashley Wilkes, and in the light Rhett could see that his once golden hair had turned to gray, his head was hung and his face was tight with sorrow that did not hide the wrinkles that had formed at the corners of his eyes. And there, standing next to him were Wade and Ella. Scarlett's oldest, here a fine young man, fifteen he must be, stood resolute, but Rhett saw a tear drop from his sad brown eyes as he fought to control his emotions. Ella, practically grown up herself but who was really still a child, grasped Ashley's hand. But where was Scarlett? Rhett searched the crowd for his petite wife. Surely he would recognize her brave figure and her green eyes anywhere. But she was not to be found.

Returning his eyes to Scarlett's children, he watched, as if in some kind of nightmare as the priest finished his reading and Wade slowly bent down to grasp a handful of hard earth in his hand. After the coffin was lowered into the ground and the first handful of dirt was thrown in, Ella turned to Ashley and buried her face in his chest, the unexpected movement catching him off balance and he stumbled backward a bit before regaining his composure and grasping the sobbing child.

"Shhhh, Ella, sweetheart. Please don't cry. You must be brave. Your mother wouldn't want you to cry."

"Uncle Ashley, I want my mother!" she cried.

And Rhett knew then. It was Scarlett that had died, his Scarlett that had been burried on this Christmas night. The knowledge hit him with a force that was stronger than the blow of any strong man's fist, and he gasped out, "No!" before stumbling back down the path toward Melanie and Bonnie. His breathing was hard and tears stung the backs of his cynical black eyes.

"It can't be true!" he cried desperately, grasping Melanie's thin arm. "Please! Tell me it's not true, no, not Scarlett." His heart felt as if it had been ripped open and exposed to the harsh elements around them. How could this be? He had never envisioned Scarlett dying. No matter the hardships she faced, she had always come out on top, so strong and resilient, always surviving, always pushing forward. Never had he imagined her not being on this earth for him to dream of, to yearn for, even if he was not in contact with her, for even when he had left her he could not deny that she had haunted him, and he knew in the back of his mind that he could see her again whenever he wanted. But now, no, it wasn't possible! She could not be gone.

"Melanie, please!" Looking wildly from Melanie to Bonnie and back again, he was met only with looks of pity and sorrow. He forced himself to calm down and then, shakily, asked again, "Please, what happened to her?"

Bonnie took his hand as if to brace him for the news, and Melanie let out a sigh, but she met his eyes with purpose and seriousness. "She hadn't been well since you left her. Try as she might, the depression that plagued her since you left was a burden that could not be shaken off. This year the weather in early December was chilly, more so than normal. After Scarlett walked Ella to school, as she had become accustomed to doing since you left in effort to build a bond between herself and her children, she came out here with flowers for her loved ones. She must have stayed out too long for when she came home she told Mammy she felt ill and went to bed early.

The next day Mammy found her in bed with a fever, and the doctor was summoned. He knew she had been weak, not eating enough and overexerting herself, trying to forget you. He said she might very well get better as she had in more trying times in her life. This was the second time she'd ever been sick, you know. For a while she did get better though not well enough to get out of bed. But she was well enough to sit up and receive Wade and Ella who would come in and keep her company, telling her stories of what she was missing while she was bedridden. I think it helped her to know that she was loved by her children in the end…"

Rhett felt the tears threatening to fall as he listened to the story of Scarlett's final days. "And then," he asked gloomily.

"Just when everyone thought she was going to fully recover, her cough and fever returned unexpectedly. It was Pneumonia; there was nothing anyone could do. She died last night in her sleep. Bonnie and I were with her when she passed on."

Rhett turned his head so they wouldn't see the tears that coursed down his face at the thought of losing the woman he loved. Swiftly he wiped his eyes with his sleeve and bravely faced Melanie again. "But why wasn't I at the funeral tonight? Why did no one contact me? Why did she not contact me? I would have come if I had known she was sick, I would have been there with her…I would have told her I loved her," he trailed off in a sorrowful whisper. He had admitted to them and to himself that he still loved Scarlett, but what was the use now?

Melanie shook her head sadly and whispered, "No, Captain Butler, you would not have come."

"What do you mean? I would have been on the first train back to Atlanta."

"Daddy," Bonnie said softly, tugging on his hand. He looked down to see his daughter with her hand outstretched. She was pointing toward a gravestone that was covered in a layer of old snow. Furrowing his brow in confusion, he shakily kneeled down to examine to tomb stone.

"Who lies buried here?"

But the spirits said nothing. With shaky fingers he wiped away the snow to reveal a name carved in the stone, and when it was uncovered, he let out a strangled, "Oh my God." The name of the headstone read "Rhett Kinnecut Butler". So he could not have come to Scarlett's aid for he had died before she did.

Swiftly he stood up and demanded, "What year is this?"

"It is 1878."

"Five years," Rhett stated in bewilderment, running his fingers through his hair as he contemplated this situation. "Five years since I left."

"It's a wonder you made it to 1877, Captain Butler, the way you had been treating yourself since you left her."

"How do you mean?"

"Captain Butler," Melanie said softly, "You practically drank yourself to death, and it was a small illness that escalated because of it. You had been in Augusta, but since you and Scarlett never divorced, she brought you back to be buried next to Bonnie."

"Oh, Melanie, no!" he cried in a frantic voice. "Surely there can be some way to prevent all this from happening! Scarlett was so young, it's not supposed to happen this way! Tell me, tell me please, are these visions of things that must be?" His heart was written on his face as he desperately pleaded with them to tell him that this was not the real future he was seeing.

The soothing smile that crept onto Melanie's face at Rhett's revelation calmed him somewhat. "Captain Butler, what must be and what will be are up to you now. Bonnie and I have shown you tonight what could be, but it is your choice to go forward from the present to do what you will. We have given you the opportunity to have another chance with Scarlett and to make both of your lives happier, for two souls as destined for one another as yours will only self destruct if apart for too long. Do you realize, now, your true feelings for her?"

He nodded his head in eager agreement. "I love her, I've never stopped. Please tell me that all will be alright."

"It's up to you, daddy," Bonnie interjected, and when he bent down to her level with a hopeful smile on his face she kissed his cheek and added, "but I know you can do it. Mommy loves you so."

Rhett pulled his daughter into a tight hug, cherishing what he knew were his last moments with her on this journey, for he knew that soon they would return to wherever it was they had came. "Thank you, baby," he whispered. "I will go back to your mother and tell her how much I love her. I don't want her to be sad anymore."

Bonnie pulled back with a smile and held out her hand to Melanie. "We have to go now, daddy."

He understood what they meant and nodded sadly, smiling in thanks for all they had shown him on this night, for they had made him realize that he would never be happy unless it was with the woman who still, after so many years of hardships and trials, held his heart in her hands. "Will I see you again?" he asked hopefully.

"Not for a long time, daddy, but one day." Rhett stood and watched as Melanie and Bonnie stepped back, and the white light that surrounded them began to radiate outward until it was so bright that Rhett had to close his eyes. And when he opened them again they were gone, and he found himself back in his bed in the same hotel in Augusta.


	4. Love, Actually

**This is the last chapter. I'm working on a new Christmas story, hopefully i can finish it in time. This one is a couple years old. Anyway happy holidays! **

The dawn of a new day was creeping through the window when Rhett got out of bed. His face was sticky with old tears—he had been sobbing violently at the scene of Scarlett's would be funeral, but on this fresh morning he took no notice of the depressing thoughts that had haunted him for eight months, and his spirits soared. Today was the day! Oh blessed new day! He would go back to Scarlett, to make sure the prophecies that Bonnie and Melanie had showed him did not come true. He would make things right, now and forever.

But was it too late? Had he slept too long; was today Christmas day? Throwing back the covers, he did not even notice that the room was freezing and that his night clothes were damp from the fog the night before. His mind was only set on one purpose—packing is bags and boarding the first possible train to Atlanta. Quickly ringing for a maid, he rummaged through his dressing room, frantically throwing shirts and trousers, shoes and cravats into his traveling bags in a rush of excitement, but he immediately collected himself when the maid entered his room.

"Are you going somewhere, Mr. Butler?" the young girl asked, walking over to his dresser to put down the candle she was carrying, for it was still quite dark in his room.

The surprised tone in her voice went unnoticed by Rhett who was too elated to think of anything else but seeing the woman he loved. "I'm going home," he nodded quite seriously, though his smile betrayed his happy emotions.

"Oh, will you be back soon?"

"No. Pack all of my things I'm leaving on the first train. Run downstairs first and tell a porter to go to the station and buy me a one way ticket to Atlanta."

She nodded and picked up the candle again before starting to walk to the door, but Rhett caught her by the arm before she could get very far. "Do tell me one thing, please, before you go."

The maid smiled flirtatiously at his handsome but rugged face and his eyes that shined so bright in the yellow light. "Yes, Captain Butler?"

"What is today?" he asked softly, hopefully.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what day is it today?"

Confused and disappointed at his awkward question she hesitantly answered, "Why, today is Christmas day."

"Christmas day!" Rhett smiled and threw back his head with a good natured laugh. So he had not missed it! He would see Scarlett this evening, surprise her and the children for Christmas, and he could not wait! "It's Christmas day today!" he exclaimed again. And then, as if realizing he must have sounded strange to the perplexed young lady in front of him, he said softly, "Well go on! Hurry, I don't have all day. I have people to see!" And he sent her on her way.

Realizing he had some time to kill before his train left, Rhett walked to the window and threw open the drapes to let in the light that had been closed out from this room for too long, and as it flooded the room, it flooded his soul, giving him renewed hope and determination that all would be right with the world once he and Scarlett were together again. He hazily remembered the strange events of the night before. Could it have been a dream? No, he did not think so, for it had been too real to have been a working of his drunken imagination. Strange, he thought, as he opened the window and stuck his head out into the cold winter morning, he did not feel sluggish as one should when one has consumed a vast amount of alcohol the night before. Instead he felt renewed, as if ten years had fallen from his mind in the span of one night, and the feeling was wonderful.

Looking down to the street below him he noticed a fresh blanket of snow had covered the ground, and the streets were just beginning to teem with early churchgoers and patrons carrying gifts for their loved ones. But it was cold, and he would have to remember not to pack his overcoat for his journey. Suddenly he hoped that Scarlett was warm in her bed back in Atlanta, and he regretted not being able to wake up next to her and kiss her good morning, to be the first person she saw when she opened her eyes. But now was not the time for regrets, for tonight he would, he ardently hoped, get the chance to show her he still loved her.

On that thought he turned and walked back over to the pile of clothes he had pulled out for the maid to pack, and he picked out a gray day suit and a long black coat with matching top hat. Even in his nervous anticipation he had not forgotten his pride or his sense of propriety, and he wanted to look his best when he surprised his family tonight. Walking over to the dressing table, he looked at his reflection in the oval mirror and what he saw startled him. Though his body felt excellent, his face showed the effects of alcohol and many sleepless nights. His hand came up to rub three day's worth of stubble, and he saw his eyes were bloodshot with dark circles underneath, his face was puffy, and his hair was unkempt. He cursed his image for what he saw before him, but he knew there was not much he could do to hide his self destruction other than clean himself up, and this was but a passing feeling of self criticism before his happiness returned.

By the time he had dressed himself and washed and shaved, the maid was nearly done packing his belongings, and he knew it was time to catch his train. Taking one last look at the room that he had called his home for the past eight bitter months, Rhett smiled and handed the girl a tip, pinched her playfully on the cheek, and with a "Merry Christmas," he left the room and the hotel, ready to start a new life with a renewed passion.

It was early evening and already dark when Rhett alighted from the train at the depot in Atlanta. Because it was Christmas they had had to make a stop in Savannah before heading west to the heart of Georgia, and while this irritated him somewhat, he was determined not to let anything ruin his high morale, not on this day. As he walked along the streets toward his home, he greeted everyone he saw with a smile and a "Merry Christmas", and he was surprised albeit strangely happy that they returned the greeting. It was a good feeling to be treated so kindly after such a long absence from this city. As he walked along he could think of nothing but the look on Scarlett's face when he walked through the door, but his attention was diverted when he saw a man scurrying about with last minute gifts and he realized he had none for the children or for his wife. All the proprietors of the toy stores would have already closed their shops for the night, he was sure, but looking around him he spotted a warm glow coming from a small shop across the street from where he stood.

Careful to dodge horses and passers-by, he crossed the street and took off his hat as he entered the warmly lit store, careful no to let the water droplets from the light snow outside fall to the clean floor.

Rhett looked up when he heard the clerk greet him. "Good evening," he said in return.

The old man smiled at Rhett and said, "You know, you're lucky. You got here just in time. I was about to close up here it being Christmas and all, you came just in time."

"I'm glad I caught you while you were still open then," Rhett said kindly, thankful that luck was on his side so far.

"Is there anything in particular I can help you with?"

Looking around, he saw a vast array of different types of flowers, all of them vibrant and alive, but nothing caught his eye in particular. "Actually, I'm looking for something special."

"For a young lady?" the clerk asked with a knowing smile.

"Yes, for my wife. You see I've just returned from a business trip and wanted to surprise her with something special, but as I have been traveling all day, I hadn't the time to get anything."

"Ah," exclaimed the clerk. "Well, we have many very beautiful flowers here, but I have the feeling that no ordinary flower will do for this lady, am I right?"

"You hit the mark exactly," Rhett smiled.

"Well then, perhaps if you told me her name I could find something for you. They say that there's a flower for every name."

Rhett laughed good naturedly, thankful for this man's obvious kindness and Christmas spirit. "Oh do they? Well, her name is Scarlett, and she's the most beautiful woman I know."

"Ah Scarlett, that is a unique yet very beautiful name. I think I may have just what you're looking for."

Rhett watched anxiously as the man ducked behind the counter, and when he emerged he held out the most exquisite rose he had ever seen. The stem was long and dark green, and the bud, not fully opened yet, was almost burgundy in color. Rhett was transfixed by the color and sheer splendor, for though he had bought Scarlett many roses before their separation, he had never seen one quite like this. It was perfect.

"This here is a very rare and special rose. Do you think she'd like it?" the man wondered.

"I do hope so," Rhett chuckled. "I do hope so. I'll take it."

Just as he reached into his coat pocket for money to pay the clerk, the man held up his hand and said "It's no charge."

Rhett looked at him in bewilderment and shook his head, "Nonsense, here is some money, extra for keeping the shop open for one last customer."

But the man smiled kindly and said, "It's Christmas. Just go home to your wife and family. Save your money for something nicer."

He was astonished that someone on this, the busiest of holidays, could be so kind to someone like him. Hesitantly he took the rose from the clerk and shook his hand. "Thank you, very much. Have a merry Christmas."

"Same to you."

The snow was falling heavier when Rhett exited the shop. He would have to buy a more suitable gift for Scarlett and the children in the morning, but at that moment, he just wanted to get home. The bell in the church tower—the same one he had heard the night before in the cemetery, he realized—rang behind him, though this time it was not an ominous sound, it was the merry sound of church bells that one hears every Christmas, beckoning parishioners in to evening mass. Hopefully he would catch Scarlett and the children just having finished dinner, for he yearned to have her to himself without first sitting down to an awkward meal after such a long absence. And then he remembered something else from the night before. Ashley. Would he be there tonight? Rhett could only hope not. He did not need any obstacles standing between him and his quest.

Before he knew it, he was on Peachtree Street, and there before him was the house had had built especially for Scarlett when they had been married what seemed so long ago. The heavy drapes on the downstairs windows had been pulled open and warm lamp and candlelight poured out onto the drive, beckoning him to come closer, to come out of the cold and bask in the comfort inside with those he loved. When he reached the front door, he brushed the snowflakes off of his coat and hid the rose behind his back. Then, he picked up his bags and opened the door.

The foyer was empty, and the silence momentarily startled him, but then he heard the pitter-patter of little feet on the stairs and giggling, and he looked up and saw Wade and Ella. Ella was the first to spot him, and when she did he eyes grew wide and her mouth gaped open in surprise as she ran toward him with Wade following suit.

"Uncle Rhett!" she cried as Rhett set down his bags and bent down and scooped her up with one arm.

"Hello, Ella Lorena. Don't you look pretty tonight?" Rhett smiled affectionately before kissing her on the cheek. "And Wade, my, you're huge! You're nearly as tall as me!" Rhett laughed as he patted the ten year old's head and set Ella on her feet.

Wade smiled excitedly, even though he knew his Uncle Rhett was just teasing him. "Uncle Rhett, you came back."

"We've missed you so," Ella chimed in quietly.

A wave of nostalgia swept over Rhett as he kneeled down and looked at his two step-children. He had been gone far too long, and it wrung his heart to see the happiness in their eyes at the sight of him. He reached out and pinched Ella's cheek. "Of course I came back," he whispered. "I wouldn't have missed spending Christmas with you for the whole world."

"Do you mean it, Uncle Rhett?" Wade asked hopefully, for Rhett was the only father both f them had ever known, and they had been crushed at his extended absence.

"Of course I mean it," he said with fatherly passion as he pulled each one of them into a long overdue hug.

"Did you bring us presents, Uncle Rhett?" Ella wondered excitedly. "You always give us the best presents."

Rhett laughed softly, "Can you two wait until tomorrow? I'm pretty tired and I'd like to see your mother before I go to bed. Can you tell me where she is?"

Wade and Ella nodded in unison. Just having their step-father back was enough of a gift to tide them over until the next day, and they had received plenty of other gifts from Saint Nicholas this morning. "She's in the parlor, Uncle Rhett," Ella said. "But you have to be quiet because she's been feeling tired lately."

Rhett sighed and nodded in agreement. "I promise I will be. Now, you two go on ahead to wherever you were running off to when I got here, and later I'll come upstairs and you can show me all of the gifts you received from Saint Nicholas. Does that sound alright?"

"Yes," they both said in unison.

With a smile, Rhett stood up, and, with one hand still clutching Scarlett's rose, he walked toward the parlor. As he got closer to the mahogany door that separated him from his heart's desire, his earlier feeling of courage melted away into nervousness. He was unsure of what to say when he saw her, unsure of how she'd react to the sight of him after so long, but he desperately hoped that she would be happy. Shutting his eyes momentarily to gather his thought and his strength, Rhett silently asked Melanie and Bonnie to guide him, and then he opened his eyes and softly knocked on the door.

The voice that came from within was, as Ella had said, tired, but taking the cue from Scarlett's words he slowly opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him. Scarlett sat curled up in a large plush chair near the fire on the other side of the room, her back was toward him, and she said nothing. He assumed that she suspected it was a servant and so he cleared his throat and gently said, "Scarlett."

He heard her inhale sharply at his voice and her dark head snapped around, her startled eyes wild with some unexpected emotion. But she did not speak, and so he hesitantly made his way toward her, breathing in her scent as he got closer, and his heart hammered in his chest.

She watched him as he drew near. He saw her lips quivering and she said his name, barely above a whisper, "Rhett?"

Swallowing hard at the sound of his name coming from her lips, he started to smile, but stopped when she turned away again, and he realized she was crying. This was not the reaction he had expected, and certainly not the one he had hoped for since he woke up that morning. He sat on the foot rest opposite the chair and reached out with his free hand to touch her arm. "Scarlett what's the matter, why are you crying?" he asked with genuine concern in his voice. When she did not respond he mistook it as a sign that she was not happy to see him, and he swallowed another lump in his throat as hot tears welled up in his eyes. For all the things Melanie and Bonnie had shown him, for all the hope and he had built up because he wanted to start over with her, it had all been for nothing. His throat was tight when he spoke again. "Scarlett, aren't you—aren't you glad to see me? Please, look at me," he begged, stroking her soft hair.

Slowly she raised her head and turned to face him, her watery green eyes really meeting his for the first time in he didn't know how long. Then she slowly nodded affirmatively, but her tears did not cease, and she made no effort to touch him.

Yet this small gesture gave him the slightest bit of optimism, and he moved his hand to her cheek, delicately brushing away her ears with his thumb. She held back a sob at the contact of his skin on hers, but kept her eyes intently on his, as if absorbing what she saw. Rhett was desperate to find out why she was so sad, and he whispered, "If you're happy to see me, why are you crying such sad tears?"

She opened her mouth and shut it, as if trying to say something but nothing would come out, and then, as a fresh wave of tears coursed down her cheeks and over Rhett's hand, she murmured, "I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?" he asked frantically, becoming fearful at her distress.

Lowering her head and looking at her fidgeting hands she whispered, "Afraid of you leaving. Rhett, I haven't seen you in so long, and now you come back just to keep up appearances for Christmas, and I'm scared of you leaving again—"

Dropping the rose on the foot rest, Rhett moved forward to take her in his arms, holding her to him as if she were made of porcelain. She felt so thin and brittle to him, but he buried his face in her hair and she clung to him as if she had nothing else in the world. As he soothed her, she kept sobbing, "I couldn't bear it. I couldn't bear it if you left again."

His heart ached so bad for her, but he should have known that he could not just walk in the door as if he had never been gone, as if nothing had ever went wrong between them, and expect her to accept him without reservations. He did not blame her for her fears, for did he not tell her when he left that he would only be back to keep the gossip down, and that would be the only reason for his return? But he had no intention of leaving again, not now when he _knew_ he needed her just as much as she needed him. And this proved she did need him. She had never been so open with her feelings in front of him, never allowed such emotions to seep through her tough outer shell. He had hurt her, and he had been hurt, badly, but with the help of two spirits he had been able to forgive, and he hoped that Scarlett would be able to do the same.

She continued to cry, so many tears from so much heartache that should have been shared with him in the first place. He laid his cheek against her head and gently rubbed her back. "I would rather you never came back. I'd rather be alone then have you come back only to walk away again," she sobbed.

At her words a single tear escaped Rhett's eyes and slid down his cheek to land in her hair. This was raw, painful emotion that Scarlett was expressing, and she had the right to do so. But instead of admitting defeat and taking his leave as she suggested, he only grasped her tighter, and whispered ardently in her ear, "Honey, shhh, please stop crying. I have no intention of leaving again unless you really want me to."

Gradually her sobs ceased and when she felt his warm lips on her head she timidly raised herself up and met his eyes again. His words were anything but those she expected to hear if and when he ever came back. He had called her honey, an endearment that only he could make sound so sweet. It was something she never expected to hear him say again. Gone was the mockery and biting sarcasm in his voice, in his dark eyes, and the emptiness she remembered being so vividly written on his face the night that Melanie died was replaced by something else; something she could not quite make out, but it was warm and comforting, and it gave her a feeling of hope that had not been present since the early days of their marriage.

Rhett watched her observe him. Her face was too pale and she bore the look of a lost and wounded animal. Oh, how could he convey to her that his feelings were real, that he was not here to hurt her? Suddenly he remembered the rose he had brought for her and he picked it up from where it was lying next to him.

"Scarlett, I know this seems strange, me showing up after being gone for so long, and on Christmas, no less. I can understand why you would think this is just a game, and I don't know how to explain to you the reason why I came back without it sounding false and unbelievable given the circumstances. But…here, I--I brought you something," he held out the rose, which to his surprise, had not wilted yet despite the cold weather he had carried it through on his way home.

Hesitantly she reached out and took the flower from him, bringing it close to her so she could examine it. He could tell that she thought it beautiful by the way she turned it in the soft light of the fire.

"I'm sorry I don't have anything better to give you right now, but do you know what the man at the flower shop tonight told me?"

Scarlett shook her head.

He took her other hand in his, rubbing his thumb over it slowly. "He told me that this flower was very rare and special, and I thought it was perfect for you." Realizing that what he was saying probably sounded like a bunch of mindless babble to Scarlett, he made up his mind to get straight to the point. Taking a deep breath he prepared to bare his rediscovered feelings to the woman sitting across from him, and he only hoped that she would believe what he said. "Scarlett, I didn't come back to keep up appearances. I-- came back because realized that I still love you."

He watched as she looked from the rose to his face with hopeful eyes. "You still love me?" she whispered with a trembling voice.

"Yes, I do," he replied, and he hoped his eyes conveyed the love his heart was feeling at that moment.

"But Rhett," she sniffled as tears welled up in her eyes again, "why did you leave me?"

Rhett pulled her up from the chair and sat down in her place, bringing her onto his lap and holding her tightly against him so his face was just inches from hers. "Scarlett, we'd been through so much, you know we have. We had treated each other like no people who love each other ever should. We said such hateful things to each other, and I knew you didn't love me like I wanted you to love me—like I thought I loved you. I had to get out, I knew it. Both of us were miserable for so long, do you agree?"

She leaned her forehead against his and nodded. "But I was even more miserable when you left, Rhett. After a while I was convinced you'd never come back, that you'd forgotten about me altogether. I didn't even know where you were."

"To be honest with you…" he smirked ironically at his words. "I suppose I've never really been honest with you, have I?" He felt her arms tighten around his shoulders and watched her close her eyes as if fatigued. "Scarlett I wanted to forget about you, forget about all the heartache that had befallen us, and I thought that by leaving I could accomplish that. I went to Augusta because I needed time to think about things, sweetheart," he whispered, moving his lips to her ear, "but I couldn't forget you. That was one thing I was unsuccessful in doing. I realized last night that I can't be happy unless I'm with you. I do love you, Scarlett Butler, I always will."

Then through her tears she smiled, a genuine smile that warmed his heart and he knew that she believed him. Her happiness radiated from her eyes and brought renewed color to her cheeks. "Say it again," she demanded.

He smiled and said passionately, "I love you." And then she laughed, but not a mocking or defiant laugh, it was joyous laughter at finally fining peace after so long. Rhett pulled back and looked at her adoringly. "That's my girl. It's been so long since I've seen that smile. Does this mean you can forgive me, that you still love me?"

Looking him seriously in the eyes she stated, "I've never loved anyone like I love you, Rhett."

They started at each other for what seemed like an eternity, both basking in the mutual adoration that flowed between them like electrically charged air. Rhett wanted to stay like this forever, with her in his arms. But another sensation overwhelmed him at the same time. Taking his arms from around her back he brought his hands up and placed one on each side of her face, pulling her closer to him, and he allowed his lips to brush softly over hers. The spark of an old flame was still there, and it washed over him as he held her. They'd never experienced a kiss so intimate or genuine like this before. It was not a sexual kiss, but the mutual familiarization of two lovers who have been reunited after much too long. There were no more tears and no more heartache, only a soothing passion that still lingered after all this time. Gradually her lips parted and the kiss deepened as their hands examined each other's faces and then wrapped around each other to tighten their embrace, never wanting to let each other go. As their lips continued to caress one another's, Rhett could think of nothing except how right this felt, and he wondered how he ever managed to live so long without Scarlett in his arms. He recalled Melanie's words from the night before: "Two souls as destined for one another as yours will only self destruct if apart for too long," and in that moment he knew it was true. He would have died if he had not come back to her.

Scarlett broke the kiss and Rhett gave her a disappointed, questioning look, but she smiled and put her hands on his cheeks. "Rhett can I ask you a question?"

"Yes."

"What made you decide to come back?"

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe it," he smiled.

"No?"

Rhett shook his head but motioned for her to stand up and he led her over to the window. Outside it had stopped snowing and the clouds had momentarily parted to allow the dazzling stars to shine through. They stood looking out into the darkness with their arms around one another. Scarlett rested her head against his chest while Rhett leaned his cheek against her head. He took one of her hands in his and pointed out the window to stars that outshined all the others. "Do you see those stars?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Those are our guardian angels," he said affirmatively.

She looked up at him in bewilderment. "Guardian angels, Rhett? Are you going to tell me you were visited during the night by ghosts like in the story I read to Wade and Ella every Christmas?"

"Would you believe me if I said yes?" he smiled playfully.

Scarlett only smiled back and returned her head to his chest, which caused a deep rumble of laughter from Rhett. It did not matter if she did not believe him; all that mattered was that they were here, together at last.

"I love you," he whispered sweetly in her ear, and then he kissed her head again. "Merry Christmas, Scarlett."

"Merry Christmas, Rhett."

As the remaining minutes of this Christmas slipped by, Rhett held her tighter and closed his eyes, thanking the spirits of those he loved for helping him on his journey. So content was he to be in this position that he did not notice the two stars twinkle in the night sky before the clouds moved in once more and fresh snow fell softly to the ground.


End file.
